Overview
A man caught between duty and desire faces a moral crossroads in the heart of Paris.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- intimate
- philosophical
- wistful
- quiet evening
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised Rohmer's precise, unsensational observation of relationships and universal truths, though a minority found the film fleeting or forgettable.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Frédéric's attraction to Chloé is presented through his reflections and choices as a question of marital fidelity and personal ethics.
The film keeps its focus close and clear, relying on office visits, domestic exchanges, and understated interactions.
Frédéric daydreams about other women while maintaining a settled marriage to Hélène and facing Chloé's advances.
Frédéric is a Paris office partner married to a teacher, and the conflict unfolds within professional and domestic routines.
Films like Love in the Afternoon, and why
My Night at Maud's
shared intimate relationship drama, conversational moral conflict, and bourgeois emotional restraint
Claire's Knee
shared Éric Rohmer authorship, romantic indecision, philosophical conversation, and shifting desire
The Mother and the Whore
shared French romantic drama, marital uncertainty, and psychologically nuanced treatment of infidelity
A Summer's Tale
shared understated adult romance, emotional ambiguity, and focus on private moral choices
Movie Details
- Director
- Éric Rohmer
- Release Date
- 1972-09-01
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (224)
Cast
- Bernard Verley
- Zouzou
- Françoise Verley
- Daniel Ceccaldi
- Malvina Penne
- Elisabeth Ferrier
- Tina Michelino
- Jean-Louis Livi
- Pierre Nunzi
- Irène Skobline
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Love in the Afternoon about?
- A happily married Parisian office partner confronts the unsettling pull of an old friend's former mistress during private afternoon meetings.
- What is Love in the Afternoon like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Love in the Afternoon as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Love in the Afternoon violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Love in the Afternoon.
- What did critics think of Love in the Afternoon?
- Critics broadly praised Rohmer's precise, unsensational observation of relationships and universal truths, though a minority found the film fleeting or forgettable.
- Which films are like Love in the Afternoon?
- Films with a similar feel include My Night at Maud's, Claire's Knee, The Mother and the Whore, and A Summer's Tale.
- How long is Love in the Afternoon?
- Love in the Afternoon runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Love in the Afternoon?
- In United States, Love in the Afternoon streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max.
